And One Last Thing...

Julie reminds us that today is the birthday of none other than Johann Sebastian Bach.

I have some great memories of Bach, one of which I will share here. It happened at night, when Bach really is best listened to.

There were only two harpsichord students at UCSC, so we had plenty of practice time in the early keyboard room. Because of the delicacy of the instruments, the janitors were not allowed in. Since the janitors cleared the practice rooms at the end of the night, if I wanted to practice late, I would just stay quiet for fifteen minutes, until I heard the last door click. Then I could go back to practicing.

One evening, very late, I was working on the Bach three-voice sinfonias, particularly the f minor, a twisty, strange and moody little work that is a lot of fun to play. It was a warm evening, so I did the forbidden: I opened a window. I would not have done this in winter, mind you (I was not about to risk ruin to the instruments, but sometimes rules are a bit overkill). There was a gentle breeze and absolutely no other sound but me and the harpsichord -- and J.S. Bach filling the air.

Bach was one of the great ones. Not an innovator, but a master at a style that was already considered old fashioned. He made his share of errors (as anyone who has analyzed the chorales can attest to), but the feat of just copying by hand all that he wrote would be daunting for most people in their lifetimes. Add to this his duties as organist, teacher, and father of 24 children, and you will get a good picture of what a giant J.S. Bach really was.

If you really want the experience today, go listen to the whole Musical Offering during the day and, at night, pour yourself a glass of a good red and listen to the Goldberg Variations (on harpsichord, please - no pianos!).